There's a Sustainable Tomato in Your Future

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There's a Sustainable Tomato in Your Future

Key Environmentalists, Public Officials, Processors and Growers Join Protected Harvest to Introduce the Sustainable Tomato

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, Aug. 23 -/E-Wire/Business Wire/-- The city they call Sacratomato is providing the launching pad for an entirely new generation of tomatoes in California. Environmentalists, public officials and agricultural leaders gathered today at California's Environmental Protection Agency headquarters to announce the introduction of an environmentally friendlier version of those succulent so-called "love apple" products that you will be able to find in grocery stores across the country.

"From the farm land to the dinner table, agriculture plays an important role in America's economy, environment, health and well-being," said U.S. EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "Consumers today want to know that the foods they eat are not only healthful and delicious; they want the assurance that food is grown in a manner that protects natural habitats, clean air and water quality. By building strong working relationships with the farm community, EPA can help provide market incentives for environmentally friendly agriculture practices."

Johnson made this visit to California to emphasize his support for the nationwide movement toward sustainable agriculture. As part of their sustainable commitment, farmers who agree to use conservation practices and manage their use of pesticides will have the option of having their tomatoes certified as part of the Protected Harvest program.

"Assurance is the critical factor," said Erik Olson of Environmental Defense. "There needs to be public confidence that the sustainable agriculture standards have measurable environmental benefit, are actually being implemented on the farm, and are documented by a third party organization."

Protected Harvest is an independent, national non-profit organization that provides farmers with information about the latest environmentally friendly techniques, monitors their compliance with the program's strict standards, and then requires that the produce is delivered from the field to the grocery store without interference.

"The Protected Harvest program emphasizes our commitment to resource protection and ensures that farmers are properly recognized for their environmental stewardship," said Arthur G. Baggett Jr., Chair, State Water Resources Control Board. "In order for a 3rd party certification program to be successful you have to have the participation of numerous interests. Protected Harvest brings growers together and creates new opportunities for cooperation with the environmental community."

"California today grows 90 percent of the processing tomatoes that are used throughout the country, so you can see, this is a very big first step with the potential for far-reaching effects," said Bruce Rominger of Rominger Brothers Farm in Winters, California.

"Our goal is to certify as many acres of cropland as possible, using crop standards that are innovative, but economically viable for growers," said Carolyn Brickey, Executive Director of Protected Harvest. "We want to help growers demonstrate that they are good friends of the environment."

Protected Harvest recently received a grant of $425,000 from the State Water Resources Control Board and a grant of $78,000 from the US EPA to develop a workbook of sustainable tomato-growing practices. The workbook will focus on growing processing tomatoes, which have a greater concentration of the powerful antioxidant Lycopene than fresh tomatoes.

The group is also in the process of developing crop standards and certification programs for peaches, plums, nectarines, winegrapes, strawberries, citrus and a variety of other fresh and processed vegetables.

In addition to the federal EPA administrator, today's announcement was attended Wayne Nastri, US EPA Region 9 Administrator and Mary-Ann Warmerdam, Director of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.

Rochelle Kelvin [REDACTED-PHONE]

Lisa Rosen [REDACTED-PHONE]

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